


Breathe

by FlyRobinFly



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Bonding, Domestic Fluff, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Future Fic, Good Theo Raeken, Growing Pains, Growing Up, Humor, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Music, Liam is a history teacher, Multi, Oblivious Liam Dunbar, Post-Series, Road Trips, Self-Acceptance, Slow Burn, Werewolf Mates, easy love, learning to cope, learning to love, theo is a deputy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-08 17:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15248607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyRobinFly/pseuds/FlyRobinFly
Summary: Theo's changed a lot in the last seven years. He became friends with Liam, he finished high school, went to college. He became someone that people could care about, really care about. And when Theo doesn't let himself have a life outside of work, people voice their concern. Theo ends up going on a two week vacation with his roommate and best friend, Liam, but he has to work through some things and clean up his heart a little bit before he can really let anyone in.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I had this idea that Theo would make an awesome law enforcement officer in the future because of his history with being bad and all. And then I was like. Oh. And Liam would be such a cute History teacher. What if I do a future fic where they've already been to college and got jobs back in Beacon Hills. Aw. So perf.

Theo sat in the Sheriff's office with Stilinski and Parrish, each of them were still in their work uniform, each with a burger in hand. Parrish was talking about why he'd gone into Law Enforcement and was always sure to remind the Sheriff of how grateful he was for having him. "I'm really gonna miss having you around, Parrish," Stilinski said. "But Orange County is about to meet one hell of a Sheriff."

Theo rolled his eyes at Stilinski as the older man laughed at his own pun. Parrish punched Theo's arm. "Well, all of Theo's hardwork is gonna make up for it. I have no doubt about it." Theo smiled at Parrish before the man asked the question. "So what even made you want to go into Law Enforcement anyways, Theo?"

Theo swallowed the bite of his food and thought back to when he'd made the decision. "The Sheriff actually talked me into it."

Parrish furrowed his brows. "Really? I'm not sure I've heard that story. I knew he was your mentor once you got into the program and stuff but I didn't know he'd instigated it all."

Theo nodded. "Yeah. Senior year all the other kids knew what they were doing but I had no plan for my life. It had always been to just survive." Theo looked the Sherrif in the eyes. "I don't know what he saw in me but he told me I'd make a great Law Enforcement Officer one day and that's really all it took."

"You could've done anything, Theo," said Sheriff Stilinski. "You just needed someone to tell you that."

Theo smiled. "Looking back I know that. It wouldn't have been any different if Melissa had told me I'd make a great nurse or if Deaton had told me I'd make a great druid or veterinarian. You were just the only person who told me I'd be great at something so I gave it my all. I don't regret it either because I really like where it's brought me."

"I'm proud of you," said Stilinski after a moment of looking at Theo. "Today is a good day for promotions, isn't it?" Theo and Parrish nodded their heads as they chowed down on their food. "Well, I'm glad we could do this. When are you leaving tomorrow, Deputy? Or should I say Sheriff?"

 

* * *

 

Theo pulled up into the driveway of a small two-story home, parking his blue truck in front of the garage door. The house was pretty much a garage with a kitchen behind it and two bedrooms above that with a small bit of living space. He rented it with his roommate. Normally he didn't get home this early and his roommate was already in bed and resting before heading off early to go teach class in the morning.

Theo unlocked the front door and threw his keys on the counter, kicking his shoes off. As he removed his gun and badge he recognized the sound of music coming from upstairs and chuckled. Was he really playing ACDC at this hour? He made his way up the stairs and peaked in his roommate's bedroom where he spotted Liam doing a knee slide while holding an air guitar.

Theo smiled and leaned against the doorway watching as the guy made a total fool of himself. He got on his back and spun in circles. He did the head bobbing and hair shaking. He did the raspy-falceto voice until the big finally of him jumping up to his feet and 'whoop'ing. Theo clapped his hands together slowly but loudly. "Bravo!"

Liam spun around and his eyes when big at the sight of his roommate. "Theo, what are you doing here?"

"I live here, remember?" said Theo. "I pay half the rent."

Liam glared as a slight blush of embarrassment came to his face. "You never get home this early though."

Theo shrugged. "Well, my hours are about to get pretty wacko because... guess who's transferring to Orange County."

"Who?" Liam asked turning off the speakers in his room and shutting the app off on his phone.

"Parrish," said Theo.

Liam gasped. "No. I love that guy. He doesn't deserve to be transfered-"

"He's being promoted to Sheriff," Theo said.

Suddenly Liam smiled. "Good for him. But... doesn't that mean that-"

"I also got promoted," Theo finished with a grin on his face.

Liam's grin matched Theo's. "Dude, that's awesome!" Liam approached him with a hug and squeezed him tight before letting go. "That's great."

"I know," said Theo. "I'm excited. I finally don't have to worry about paying my half of the rent since I've gotten a three dollar raise."

Liam frowned a little. "Oh. Good for both of us then."

"Good for everybody except the people breaking the law," Theo looked at his watch. "Isn't it a school night?"

Liam shook his head. "Nope. Tomorrow is a Holiday so I get paid to sleep in."

Theo grumbled. "I wish I could get paid to sleep in."

Liam pushed on Theo's chest. "You should go to bed. You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted," said Theo stumbling back a little bit into the hall between his and Liam's rooms. "But I kind of miss getting to talk to my best friend too." He leaned back against the wall and stared at Liam.

"How about I take you lunch tomorrow?" Liam offered. "Are you gonna be at the station?"

Theo smiled at the idea of Liam coming to see him at work. It would be nice if he had more time off to be with his friends but duty calls. "Yeah. That'd be great. I'll probably be there. If not, I'll be out patrolling and we can meet up somewhere."

"Nice," Liam socked Theo's arm with his fist absentmindedly. "So what do you want to eat?"

Theo shrugged. "Surprise me."

 

* * *

 

Theo sat in the Beacon County sheriff's office organizing and filling out paper work while he chatted away with the off duty dispatcher. "So how's the wife, Terry?" Theo asked trying to break the silence.

Terry was a short muscly man with tan skin and quite the personality. "Oh. She's doing great. She's mad at me though."

"What did you do?" Theo proded jokingly.

"I got her pregnant," he said plainly.

Theo chuckled. "Yeah. Like seven months ago."

"Eight," Terry corrected. 

"Eight? Wow," Theo plopped a big stack of papers on the desk and started to search though them. "Time flies, doesn't it?"

"Sure does," Terry said amused. He spun his chair around to face Theo. "So have you met anyone yet?"

"Huh?" Theo looked up at him unquestioningly.

"Well, you're a young single guy. Thought maybe you'd be looking."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Not really. I'm kinda just focusing on the job right now."

"Uh huh," Terry hummed in disbelief. "Just keep in mind that you don't stay that young for long. The sooner it happens the better. I know I vent about my wife all the time but I love being married. I never feel alone anymore."

Theo finally found the file he'd been looking for and pulled it out. He smiled at Terry. "Being alone does suck. I can attest to that much." Theo scanned over the papers inside of the file until he found the number he'd been looking for. "But I have friends and a pack now so I don't have to feel alone ever again." He set the file down and started typing on the computer.

"Dude, aren't you on break?" asked Terry. "You shouldn't be working right now. Go get some food. You're not you when you're hungry."

"My lunch is gonna go later today," said Theo. "Liam's bringing me food and he has a thing for being late all the time. Besides, this case is long overdue."

"Which one?" asked Terry wheeling his chair over to the computer. "Elderly's cat disappears," he read out loud. "Sounds very dire. It's probably one of them werewolfs running around, right?" Terry chuckled and smacked Theo on the arm. "Do you guys even eat cats?"

Theo rolled his eyes. Terry could be so obnoxious sometimes. Ever since supernaturals were forced to come out of the woodwork, everyone was that way. Always asking the stupidest questions. "First of all, I am not a real werewolf. Second of all, no. What the hell, Terry? Do I look like I eat cats?"

Terry started laughing. He honestly had the funniest laugh. Terry threw his head back as he cackled and when he looked back at Theo he saw the man in his wolf form. He jumped back startled and laughed harder.

Theo growled an empty threat. "I do eat humans though." Terry jovial laughter was contagious and Theo smiled rolling his eyes. He put away his claws and fangs and smacked Terry on the chest. "Knock it off, dude. You're gonna get us in trouble."

"I am?!" Terry shouted. "You're the one bringing out the claws and fangs."

A quiet thud and faint jingle brought their attention to the door. "Liam!" Theo beamed standing from his seat as Liam approached the two men with a bag that looked like it was full of burritos. "Is one of those for me?"

Liam set the bag down on the table. "No. I bought five burritos just for Terry." Liam reached in the bag and searched for a certain burrito and presented it to Theo. "Of course, I got you a burrito, dumb ass. What kind of friend would I be if I stopped by Las Spranzas and didn't get you a burrito?"

Theo's eyes were wide all of a sudden. "Is it-"

"It's a Grande Quesorito with steak, extra cheesy, extra spicey, and extra big," said Liam. "Just how you like it."

"Probably how he likes his fellas too, huh?" Terry mumbled under his breath just as Theo was taking a bite. He was hoping for a reaction out of Theo but he completely ignored him while he enjoyed his burrito. Liam, however, did react. He basically frowned at Terry very confused before he looked the same way at the ground. Theo let out an exaggerated moan as he chewed the biggest bite of burrito he'd ever taken. He did a victory spin in his chair. "That's probably what he sounds like when he's enjoying the fella too." Terry snickered and elbowed Liam. "Am I right?"

Liam had been staring at Theo slightly confused but he reached in the bag and handed a burrito to Terry. "Hope you're hungry."

"Not as hungry as Theo is," Terry said winking at Liam who still just frowned like a confused puppy. "Thanks. You have no idea how great this is. My wife has me going vegan. There is meat in this, right?"

"Of course, it has meat. What kind of person doesn't eat meat? That's so horrible. Oh my god," Liam said sitting down and pulling a burrito out of the bag.

"Apparently, a married man," said Theo bitterly. "You know what, dude? I don't think I could ever get married. It sounds horrible."

"Come on, dude," said Terry. "Really?"

"I just don't see my self-settling down with a wife and having kids," said Theo. "Besides, I don't need a wife. I have Liam. It's basically the same, right?"

Terry glanced at Liam who was already halfway done with his burrito, had beans dripping down his chin, a full mouth and was chewing very loudly. "Nah, dude. he eats like a dog."

Liam pouted, clearly hurt by the statement. Theo looked at Liam. "Liam, take smaller bites. How many times do I have to tell you?" Theo reached over and wiped Liam's face with a napkin. Liam smiled sheepishly with his teeth showing all the gross food that was stuck in his teeth. "Oh my god. You're so disgusting."

"You still love me," Liam said with his mouth partway full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Theo.

"So bossy," Liam mumbled at the same time that Terry muttered, "That's good advice."

Terry had to get back to work a few minutes later but Liam and Theo visited for about fifteen minutes after they ate. "So tell me about your classes this year. I haven't heard much."

"Oh you know," said Liam. "I have a couple great classes and couple not so great classes and then I have a horrible class."

"It already sounds better than last year."

"Yeah," said Liam. "I think the students learned to fear me after they saw me when I got angry. It's a good kind of fear though."

"Uh huh," Theo nodded thinking about the time he actually had gotten called into the school because one of the teachers was having a breakdown and turned into a monster, literally. Everyone was afraid except for Theo. He walked right up to Liam and sat next to him and just talked to him. Liam had to take a leave after that and wait for all the dust to settle.

That was before the supernatural was completely exposed. It was a very stressful time for everyone the last year or two leading up to that. He was so glad he and Liam had each other's backs during that time. It seemed like everyone was out to get them.

 

Theo just sat and smiled at Liam causing the young man to squirm under his gaze. "What?"

"Nothing," Theo cleared his throat and glanced away. "It's just cool to see how you've grown over the years. When we first became friends it seemed like you were never happy."

"Neither were you," Liam pointed out.

"That's true but I think I am now," said Theo. "I'm finally out of school. I've got a job and roof over my head. Hunters aren't trying to kill us. There are no secrets to keep."

"You know, you've changed a lot too," said Liam. "Like a lot. But in all the good ways." Liam smiled that goofy grin at him making Theo's cheeks puff up over his eyes when he smiled. "What time do you have to get back to work?"

Theo looked at his watch still smiling like an idiot. "Five minutes ago."

Liam sighed and stood up. "I should probably go." He lifted up a bag with a couple remaining burritos cause he went all out. "I'm gonna leave these here. Make sure someone eats them, k?"

"Thanks for coming," Theo called as Liam was leaving.

As Liam was leaving he turned around and waved, "See you later."

"See ya," Theo muttered to himself just as a couple more officers walked in complaining about how starving they were and he handed them the burritos. He let out a sigh and sat back down at the desk he'd been working at. "What the weather like, boys?"

"Damn hot and sticky," one of them complained. "I hate it."

The other piped up. "Boss is on his way in. He said he wants you to ride down to a crime scene with him. He'll be here in five."

"Why didn't he tell me?" asked Theo.

"He tried to radio you but there was no response," said the first officer.

Theo grumbled and checked his radio. "Dammit." He walked over on Terry's side of the room where the spare radios were and started removing the one that had died.

"So Theo," Terry said and Theo could tell just by the tone of his voice that he was going to hound him about something so he rolled his eyes. "Liam-"

"Is my roommate," Theo growled at him as he pulled a new radio over his shoulder.

"More like your soulmate," Terry teased poking at Theo's side.

Theo aggressively secured his new radio and it beeped faintly before he went off on Terry. "Dammit, Terry. I swear if you even try to play matchmaker on this one I will have you arrested and then I will-" The beep sounded again. Theo growled before he took a deep breath. "Shit."

 _"Terry, would you stop hounding the boy about his non-existent love life and cut him some slack?"_ a familiar voice sounded through the radio.

Theo winced and took the radio in his hand. "Sorry boss," said Theo. "My radio died and I didn't get the message."

 _"It's alright. I figured it was that again,"_ said Stilinski. _"I'm coming to pick you up. There's a scene down at the school and I would like your assistance."_

"On my way out to the door, Sir," Theo promised. Theo saw a single burrito left on the counter. "You hungry?"

_"Whatcha' got?"_

 

* * *

 

 

Theo frowned down at the body bag being carried into and ambulance. A man had been shot in the back just outside of the school. He was sure that Liam knew him since he was a teacher but he'd have to wait until he got home tonight to tell him.

The scene was clearing up so himself and the Sheriff headed towards the squad car. Stilinski pushed the keys into Theo's hands and told him that he was driving. He'd been up really late talking to Stiles about some family things and was pretty tired. Theo obliged and drove the route the Sheriff wanted him to take.

"So, I know Terry has been bugging you about all this dating stuff and I don't want to seem like I'm on his side but..." Stilinski started.

Theo sighed and held back a grumble. "But you're on his side."

"Look," said Stilinski. "I don't want you to throw away opportunity just because of a job. Granted, it is a meaningful job but you haven't taken any vacation time since you started and you're always working overtime. I'm not saying that you need to date someone. I'm just saying that you can't forget about the relationships that you have with people."

"I mean that's a lot easier said than done," Theo actually complained as the pulled over at a red light. He rarely complained to the Sheriff. They way he was speaking he sounded like that asshole teenager again. "I never had examples of relationships growing up so I have no idea how they're supposed to work. It's freaking scary sometimes-" Right as he was speaking a bright red car sped passed them through a red light. "Are you kidding me?" Theo got ready to go after them and flicked on the lights and the sirens but the Sheriff turned them off.

"Now wait a minute," he said.

"Oh my god," Theo motioned to the car that was getting away. "But the law!" Theo flicked the lights and sirens back on.

"Karma will take care of that guy," the Sheriff promised flicking them back off. "Right now I'm more concerned about you."

"I'm not! That guys gonna get somebody killed!" Theo yelled flicking the lights and sirens back on only for the Sheriff to flick them back off. It was a game they played while they continued to argue probably freaking out all the people stuck at the light.

"Theo, as soon as school is out-"

"I don't even know why you care so much-"

"You're going to go on a vacation for two week-"

"No!" Theo whined.

"Two weeks!" the Sheriff promised. "And you're gonna take your friend, Liam."

"You can't tell me who to take my unwanted vacation with!"

"Hell, I can. I'm you're boss," Stilinski argued before he flipped the lights and sirens on himself. "Now go catch that idiot!"


	2. Chapter 2

Theo sighed as he walked in through the door and plopped his stuff in their respective places. It had been a week since him and the Sheriff had had that stupid discussion about vacation time. He promised the Sheriff he'd talk to Liam about it but he wasn't really looking forward to it. Might as well get it over with, right. "Hey, Liam!" he called through the house.

He heard a muffled answer from upstairs where he found Liam sitting on a couch surrounded by papers. Liam looked up over his glasses. "Hey. How was work?"

"Oh. You now," said Theo plopping down on a chair where he started to take off his shoes. "Just another day in the Beacon County Sheriff's Department. Chasing both cars and squirrels and that naked guy is back on Hemingway street. I'm so glad someone else was sent to deal with him. He's so difficult. How about you? How was school?"

"I gave out fifteen detentions today," said Liam. "And that was all before lunch."

"Rough day, huh?" Theo saw Liam shrug, not looking up from his students' papers. "Well, I guess this is perfect timing to bring up the other thing I need to talk to you about then."

Liam's heartbeat quickened a tiny bit as he looked up. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Yeah," Theo said. "It's just... the Sheriff keeps bugging me about taking some time off, going on a trip and relaxing.-"

"You mean like vacation time or something?" asked Liam.

"You know how me a Stilinski are," said Theo. "He's basically been my dad for the last six years and, according to him, my life needs to be centered around the people I love and not my job."

"Well, he's right," said Liam. "But... it's also important to allow yourself to indulge a little. Take a vacation. Relax and have some sex or something. Just enjoy yourself."

Theo sighed and cringed. "Will you go with me?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Liam quesitoned.

"Yeah," said Theo with some of the teenage attitude he'd been mising recently. "I don't know who else I'd ask to go on vacation with me. I don't exactly have a ton of friends other than you."

Liam just smiled at him politely. "I think it'd be fun to go on vacation. I need a break away from people anyways."

"I hate people so much," Theo agreed.

"I'm a people," Liam pointed out.

"Yeah. But you're a people that also hates people so we can spend our vacation hating other people together instead of hating each other," Theo explained.

"So where are we gonna go?" asked Liam.

"Not where there's people... I hope."

"So... the woods?" Liam questioned. "Let's go camping."

"Camping? Like in tents?"

"Or in a cabin," Liam said. "A cabin would be nice too." Theo could practically see Liam wagging his tale at this. His wolf was probably aching to go on a run in the woods. To let loose and just be an animal in his natural habitat. Theo thought about it. Smelling the trees, feeling the wind, getting outside and just running for hours with nowhere to be. It sounded nice actually. It sounded like freedom.

Theo smiled. "Camping it is."

 

* * *

 

Now there was still quite a bit of time before the trip but they began planning for it that very week. They checked availabilities at cabins and campgrounds. Most of the cabins were all booked up since they'd gotten into the game late but they were able to book two different cabins to stay in a few hours away from each other so they could travel further north the second week they were gone and get a change of scenery. There were a few nights in between the two booking where they didn't have anywhere to stay but they talked about tenting at a campground or sleeping in the back of Theo's truck in a Wal-Mart parking lot or something.

Liam had all kinds of great ideas for the trip and a few things they could do while they were there. Theo didn't complain about any of them. He just did whatever he could to make those ideas possible. Liam had mentioned a two-day hike between the cabins and Theo actually liked that idea. From the sounds of it, they would hike to the top of a mountain all day and catch the sun set, and then wake the next morning and go back down.

Theo was starting to feel the ache in his bones for a mountain, the ability to move where ever he wanted. He smiled at Liam while the other man was going on about all these ideas he had for their trip. "Liam, there still needs to be time to rest on this vacation. You know that right?" Liam was sitting criss-cross on the floor right next to the coffee table searching for things to do on his laptop. His glasses were pearched on the edge of his nose in the most adorable way possible.

"Yeah. I think I'm just excited. I don't want to actually do all these things I just have a lot of ideas-"

"And they're all great ideas," Theo clarified leaning his elbows on his knees so he was closer to Liam's adorable face. "Except for the one with the quicksand. That is a horrible idea and I refuse for obvious reasons.-"

"Right, sorry," Liam said wincing.

Theo looked down at the large list of things to do on the piece of paper then at Liam. "How about we don't make any plans? We just keep this with us and if we find ourselves looking for something to do then we can do one of the things on this list. Does that sound like it would be alright?"

"Of course," said Liam. "Just be in the moment. I like that. A lot less stressful than planning every little thing out in detail."

Theo smiled and reached his hand towards Liam's face to push the man's glasses up. "I still can't get over you with glasses."

Liam smiled goofily at him. "What do I look like?"

"You look like a History teacher," Theo said with a bit of laughter in his voice.

Liam chuckled and looked down at his lap. "You still look weird in your uniform."

"What do I look like?"

Liam looked up at him with a grin. "A stripper."

Theo shoved at Liam's shoulder smiling and rolling his eyes. "You're such an idiot. You know what? Today was really hot out. I totally would have stripped if it wasn't gonna cost me my job."

Liam was laughing before he stopped to say, "Well, hey. I won't tell."

Theo's eyes widened. "Oh. You want a show, do you?" Liam just laughed. "Fine. That's how you want it." Theo stood up and walked over to the stereo system in the living room. He turned it on and Mexican music was playing. He spent a few seconds trying to find good stripper music the whole time Liam was laughing in disbelief. "Sorry. Technical difficulties."

Liam started getting up. "Dude. Just go back to the Mexican music."

"I don't know how to dance to that," Theo whined still searching the stations.

"No. It's OK. The Spanish teacher gave the entire staff a lesson in it. I'll show you," said Liam walking over to the open space. "You can only do it right if you have hips." Liam squinted at Theo's behind. "I never noticed before but, dude, you have a nice ass."

"Thanks," Theo mellow dramatically flipped his hair. "I grew it myself." After Liam did a little sample of the dance he'd learned, Theo was stunned. "Dude, I didn't know you even had a butt."

"Well, you learn something new every day, right?" said Liam sounding just like a teacher. "Today we discovered each other's butts. You know? Nothing weird about that."

 

* * *

 

 Theo stood in the gymnasium lined up with the Sheriff and the other deputies while the pep rally at Beacon Hills High School took place. It was the biggest event at the end of the school year. It was a tradition for the Sheriff's Department to make an appearance. He never thought he'd ever be in the Sheriff's department that showed up though.

"You remember coming to these?" Stilinski asked Theo while there was a teacher talking to all of the students before the next event took place.

Theo nodded. "Yeah. It's always this big deal. I didn't get as excited over it as the other kids but it was still fun to watch the teachers make fools of themselves. Of course, it's an everyday occurrence now that I live with a teacher. I'm probably desensitized now."

The Sheriff chuckled. "Yeah. It does get old after a while."

As if on que, all the faculty came out onto the gym floor wearing sombreros and Mexican formal wear. So that's why Liam was learning how to dance Mexican style. Theo rolled his eyes when Liam waved at him. He had a fake mustache stuck to his lip, blocking part of his smile. "Oh my god. Here he goes again."

As expected, Liam hadn't practiced as much as the other teachers and was very ill-prepared. Many points in the song he just did his own thing. His sombrero and mustache were long gone by the middle of the song and he kept getting dirty looks from the Spanish teacher. That was until he started twerking. Then the Spanish teacher pointed at him and started yelling in Spanish while she chased him around the gym. Liam had obviously done it for laughs and the students thought it was hilarious but the Spanish teacher was not happy about it.

Afterwards, there was a barbeque outside where Theo found Liam and gave his shoulders a squeeze. Liam turned around and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey," said Theo offering him a foil wrapped burger. "Hungry?"

"Thanks," Liam said taking the burger.

"I loved your performance, by the way," Theo teased poking him in the side as he unwrapped his own burger. He waited for Liam to take a huge bite before he added, "Especially when you twerked. That ass should be illegal."

Liam choked on his burger a little and slugged Theo in the arm giving him the 'wtf' look.

"What?"

Liam motioned to all the students that surrounded them. "Don't encourage that kind of behavior, Theo."

Theo rolled his eyes and took a bite. He took a moment to look around them at all the high school students talking to each other and having a good time before the school year came to an end. He spotted a group of girls gawking at him and became very uncomfortable. He swallowed and looked at Liam. "Dude, why are they staring at me?"

"For obvious reasons," said Liam. "Theo, can you like not be so oblivious to the fact that you're hot? Everybody knows it. You know it. Just accept it for what it is. You're the hot one and I'm the smart one-"

"I thought Mason was the smart one," Theo teased.

Liam rolled his eyes. "Mason lives upstate now so it's irrelevant." Liam was about to take a bite of his burger but he stopped and suddenly looked like a kicked puppy. "Dude, I miss Mason. He was always so much nicer than you."

Theo glared. "Thanks. You know, I like to think that my character has improved a lot over the years but whatever." Liam shrugged and took a bite. Now the girls were looking at the both of them. It made him uncomfortable. "So you want to go visit Mason and Corey when we're up there."

"Yeah," said Liam. "Let's do that. Oh my gosh. And maybe Scott and Malia will drive the kids up for a day or something. I haven't seen everyone in ages. It makes a werewolf sad, you know?"

"I'm sure it does," said Theo. "I guess I can't relate because you're really the-"

"Dude," Liam whined. "Now they're looking at both of us. I'm scared. Do I have something on my face?"

Theo glanced over to find those girls watching them and talking about them. He listened very carefully. _"-they're both supernaturals too,"_ he heard one of them say.

 _"And they're roommates,"_ one of them said in a higher voice.

 _"Oh my god,"_ said the other. _"They're roommates.-"_

 _"The one in the uniform is so hot."_ Theo rolled his eyes. Sometimes people are so shallow. _"Too bad he's gay."_ Theo looked back at Liam and squinted. It seemed like he was listening too.

"So how many more days left until school is out?" Theo asked trying to divert their attention away from the girls.

"Yeah. Like four," Liam answered. "Four including today. So really just three."

"Just a couple weeks before we take off then," said Theo. "I think I may actually be looking forward to it."

"Well, yeah. That's kind of the whole point of a vacation," Liam said as if it were obvious but the sheepish look on Theo's face made him think otherwise. "Wait. You've never been on vacation. Have you?"

Theo shook his head. "Not really. I mean, we went to Mexico that one time but... that was a Monroe thing and we ended up getting shot at so I don't think it really counts as a vacation."

Liam shook his head. "No. That definitely wasn't a vacation. Cause we went there knowing we were gonna get shot at."

"Still the closest thing I've ever been on to a vacation," Theo pointed out. "I didn't realize they were mandatory."

Liam frowned at him annoyed. "You know, sometimes I can't tell if you're just a really sad person or if you're just asking for pitty on accident." Theo was clearly offended by that since his shoulder slumped and he literally glared at Liam. "Ok. So I know that you're just a really sad person but seriously. Do you have to be that sad?-"

"I'm not even that sad," Theo argued. "I'm happier now than I've probably ever been. Just because I talk about what I didn't have in the past when it's brought up doesn't mean I want people to feel sorry for me. I don't even want to feel sorry for myself. I just want my life to have meaning as opposed to what it had before; nothing."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Look, I wasn't even talking about you, Theo. It was nothing you did. I'm just saying that sometimes it's just really sad, all the things that happened to you. Like, the saddest thing in history. And I know a lot about history. And, look, I'm sorry I brought it up. Can we just move on?"

Theo pointed an accusitory finger at Liam. "I'm not sad," he said before taking a bite of his burger and then walking off.

"Theo, wait," Liam called after him. He followed him around like a puppy dog for the rest of the event. Eventually, Theo stopped and Liam gave a big dramatic apology for the things he said that he didn't really think about saying. Over the years, he and Theo had done this a lot to each other. They'd just run their mouths and end up hurting the other. Usually, it was Liam though because Theo was a quick learner. He also didn't have anger issues that made him extra aggressive.

Theo and the Sheriff had to leave on account of work and Liam grabbed his wrist. "Theo, come on. Don't walk away from me."

"I have to go, Liam," Theo motioned to the squad car with the Sheriff waiting for him. "I don't know why you're making this such a big deal. We do that all the time.-"

"I just don't want you to leave upset at me-"

"I'm allowed to be upset, Liam," said Theo knowing his rights. He'd endured plenty of emotional manipulation in the past and by now he knew what he was entitled to. "I know you're sorry and I forgive you but I just want to be upset at you right now. We'll talk later."

Liam watched, also upset, as Theo climbed into the squad car and drove off. He could feel the anger rising in his chest. Both of them knew he didn't really mean what he'd said with his whole heart. And he knew that everything was going to be OK between him and Theo like it always was. But Theo's reaction had triggered him. He looked around at everyone outside of the school. He knew he couldn't stay there if he was going to get angry.

So he walked towards the forest. He needed to take a walk. Him and Theo both needed some space. He thought really hard about what he'd said to Theo and tried to think about how it had made him feel. He knew Theo had always tried really hard to be happy and give his life a purpose. He'd brought up Theo being a pitty seeker before and it never went over well.

He supposed it was inapproriate for him to even bring it up right then. They were in public and they were having a casual conversation. He didn't even know why he'd said it. He did remember being upset by the comments the girls were making. That could have set him off. But it had happened before. Whenever Theo brought up something about his past life that he'd missed out on or that had brought him pain, it made Liam angry and Theo was usually the closest person to take out that anger on.

Liam sighed. He needed to talk to Theo about that. About how he wasn't really mad at Theo when he lashed out at him. He was just mad that Theo'd been through what he had. He wasn't sure if it was an IED thing or a pack thing or both even but it didn't matter. Theo was his best friend and he needed to do what he could to make it right. 

 

* * *

 

Liam waited on Theo's bed staring at the ceiling. He had papers to grade but, as far as he was concerned, making sure him and Theo were on the right page seemed more important. Around ten thirty pm, Theo finally walked in his room to find Liam asleep on his bed. He sighed and smiled at the sight of the poor little pup. He'd probably been exhausted from all the end-of-school extracurriculars and stayed up waiting for him anways.

He sat on the edge of his bed trying not to wake him. Leaning over, he carefully removed Liam's glasses and placed them on the table beside his bed. Liam stirred a little but didn't wake up so he started unbuttoning his uniform and slipping out of his shoes. He stood up and took off his pants after throwing his shirt to the side. Theo startled when he heard a tired moan. He looked at Liam and found him sitting up trying really hard not to be tired. "Theo, I'm really sorry about what I said. I didn't mean to lash out like that-"

"Hey. Shshsh," Theo sat back down on the bed laying his hands on Liam's chest trying to push him back down for sleep. "It's OK. I know. It's not your fault. I'm sorry too." Liam resisted him and tried to sit back up. "Hey, I'm not mad anymore and niither are you-"

"I wasn't mad at you, Theo," Liam tried to explain. "I was mad because-"

"I know," Theo said firmly shushing the other man. "I understand. We're good. I promise." He promised. "Don't bother getting up. Just go back to sleep. OK? You look really tired."

Liam looked at him practically cross-eyed and Theo chuckled. "I am tired," Liam said groggily. "Mrs. Gonzales is scary." Theo got up and turned off the lights while he finished getting ready for bed. By the time he came back to climb in himself, Liam was out cold.

The next morning, Theo was missing the covers and was hanging off the edge of the bed since Liam was such a bed hog. With how often they'd shared a bed before, it wasn't unheard of to Theo. He'd experienced it enough times that it didn't bother him too much. Theo rolled over and climbed on top of Liam and his covers. "Liam, wake up," he said in the man's ear. Liam was not a morning person. Getting him out of bed was always a chore and Theo was the one who had to do it. "Liam, get your ass out of bed."

Nothing happened.

Theo sat on his hands and knees and shook Liam violently. "Liam! Get the hell up!" Finally, a quiet whine escaped the man's lips. Theo got off of him and went to the foot of the bed and yanked off the blankets. "Don't make me do it." Liam grumbled. "Fine." Theo tickled the bottoms of Liam's feet and Liam startled awake flying off the bed.

"Ah!" Liam groaned when he landed on the floor. "Why did you do that?"

"Because we have to go to work," said Theo. "And today I can drive you because I'm not going until eight." Liam whined and laid down on the floor. "Come on, dude. Only three more days of school and you don't even have to drive." Theo walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. "Come on. Don't want the hot water to run out, do you?"

Liam groaned and started stripping his clothes off as he walked towards the bathroom. As he passed Theo in the hallway, he threw his dirty underwear at his face since he was mad that Theo had woken him from his perfect slumber. Theo made no comment, just grabbing the underwear and the rest of the dirty clothes that were in his and Liam's rooms taking them downstairs to put in the wash.

Theo stopped at Liam's favorite place on the way to buy him some breakfast and coffee. He offered the bag of food to Liam in the seat next to him but snatched it back before Liam could grab it. "Grumpy wolf owes me a smile."

Liam glared.

"Fine," Theo said. "I guess you can have it but before I drop you off you have to give me a smile." This was how mornings were with them. Liam being grumpy and silent and Theo doing whatever he could to get him to smile. It was really cute.

Liam took out his food and started eating while Theo drove him to the school. "Aren't you excited, pup? Only three days left and you're on summer break. You get paid to do like nothing, right?"

Liam shook his head. "I have to do stuff," he said vaguely but still grumpy.

"Like what?"

"Work on the syllabus for next year," he said. "And go to meetings. And a few classes."

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about your students," said Theo. "You won't have to give out any detentions for two whole months. Hopefully more than that."

Liam shrugged. "I guess."

"And we're going on that trip in two weeks," Theo said nudging Liam. "You'll be able to sleep in all you want then."

"No, I won't," Liam whined. "I'll be sharing a bed with you the whole time. You'll wake me up at six every morning."

The chuckled smiling at how groggy and whiney Liam still was an hour after he woke up. Theo reached across the car and ruffled Liam's hair, "I love you. You know that?" Liam pouted and glared at Theo who just laughed. "I used to be scared of you in the mornings but now I just think..." Theo had one of those 'I can't" smiles on his face.

"What?"

"You're cute," Theo admitted after he found the most correct word. "You're just inexplicably adorable when you're grumpy in the mornings."

Liam pouted as they pulled into the school parking lot. "I'm not cute."

Theo pulled up to the door. "Whatever you say, cutie-pie."

Liam tried to unlock the door but the child safety must've been on. "Dude, let me out."

"Nope," Theo said. "You owe me something. Remember?"

Liam sighed. "Theo..."

Theo sat and stared at Liam. Just waiting. Then Theo lurched forward and tickled Liam's sides. "Come on! All I want is one fuckin' smile out of you, you little shit!" Liam tried to fight him off and hide the smile at the same time. But Theo spotted it and stopped. "There it is. You look so pretty when you smile."

"Dude," Liam said. "You're really annoying in the morning. You know that?"

Theo shrugged. "Eh. You're annoying too." He unlocked Liam's door. "I'll pick you up at four?"

"Yeah," Liam said getting out of the car.

"Later, cutie-pie!" Theo shouted as Liam walked off. All he got in return was the middle finger which made him giggle.


	3. Chapter 3

Liam sat in his classroom marking up papers when there was a knock on the door. He looked up and smiled. "Theo! I thought you weren't getting here until four?"

Theo pointed to the clock. "It's after four."

Liam squinted at the clock like a confused puppy. "Oh. I thought I would have more time."

Theo pulled a chair up to Liam desk and sat in it backward, facing Liam. "It's alright. You can finish up. I don't think your folks are expecting us until half past five anyways." Theo rested his elbows on the back of the chair and slouched letting out a heavy sigh.

"Anything exciting happen at work today?" Liam asked as he continued to grade papers.

"Not really," said Theo. "Actually, Chris and Peter stopped by the station and visited with the Sheriff. They're going on a road trip up the coast and back."

"On their motorcycles? It's been a while since they've gone on one of those trips," said Liam.

"Yeah. Chris and Melissa have been really busy with work. But I think Chris is about to retire." Theo reached and grabbed one of the paperclips on Liam's desk and started playing with it. "They'll probably go on trips until Chris gets in another accident and almost dies. Melissa wouldn't like that."

"No one cares if Peter gets in an accident though," Liam said with a chuckle in his voice. "Cause he'll just get up and keep walking. Do you know how many times that guy should've died?"

"All the time," Theo answered. "He'll be around after the nuclear apocalypse, I'm sure of it."

"I hope that one day I have a best friend like that," Liam said absentmindedly. Theo scoffed and threw the paperclip at him. "What?"

"Asshole."

After a few more minutes of them bickering it went silent. Liam spoke up. "So did my parents ever tell you what they were making for dinner?"

Theo bit his lip and looked around the room in thought. He pulled out his phone and checked his text messages. "Ah. That's right. She said ribs."

Liam's mouth began to water and his eyes lit up. "You know what? I can finish this tomorrow. Let's go."

 

* * *

 

Liam just walked in like he owned the place and went straight for the kitchen without even greeting his parents. Jenna was all, "Fine then. I like Theo better anyways." Then she greeted Theo with a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "You're definitely better looking."

David had been yawning when she'd said that and let out a choked laugh. "Jenna!"

"Mom!" they heard Liam call out from the kitchen.

Theo rolled his eyes and proceed to greet David. "David, it's good to see you." They shook hands. For some reason, Theo was intimidated by Liam's father. It wasn't that he was intimidating. He wasn't at all. He was very friendly and always accepting and approving of Theo. But there was something that hung between them like he had to prove he was worthy of being Liam's friend or something.

"You too, son," said David. "Not around as much now that you and Liam both have full-time jobs. It wouldn't hurt if you just drop in every once and a while."

"We'll try to come by more often," said Theo. That's usually their extent of conversation between the two of them. That and when they conversations they've had about Liam. Theo refuses to acknowledge that David is basically his father-in-law relationship-wise. They love each other but it's awkward.

Everyone made small talk as they ate dinner. Theo chided Liam for being a such a messy eater which made Jenna smile and Liam ate more respectfully. "So did I hear that you guys are going on a trip?" Jenna asked.

Theo nodded. "Yeah," he took a sip of water before continuing. "Sheriff is making me take a two-week vacation and I'm bringing Liam along cause he's my only friend."

"Making you take a vacation?" David asked surprised. "That's some boss. Where are you going?"

"Upstate," said Theo. "We're gonna do some camping."

"That's what I heard," said Jenna smiling. "Do you need to borrow the tent? It's in the garage."

Liam shook his head. "No. It's fine. We're staying in some cabins. And I think we were gonna tailgate a few nights or something. Or go visit Mason and Corey."

"Oh. You have to give them hugs for me. I miss those boys," said Jenna. "Have you seen pictures of their little girl? So cute. Send me pictures. She's probably the closest thing I'll ever get to a grandchild." 

Theo couldn't help but grin and look at Liam who was blushing out of his mind. Liam started chewing on his lip nervously and slowly turned his head to look at Theo who was liking this way too much. Liam frowned and punched Theo's arm. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

When dinner was over, Theo was drug outside by Jenna for a talk. She made him sit down next two here on the bench swing. But she didn't say anything. "...hey<' Theo said nervously. He had no idea what this was about.

"Hey," she said smiling.

Theo waited, hoping she would at least respond in some way but nothing. "Um... you wanted to talk or?..."

She shrugged. "Do you want to talk?"

"About... what exactly?" Theo squinted at her. She seemed like she was up to something.

"About work? About you? About Liam? About you and Liam?-"

"Me and Liam?" he asked tilting his head down and to the side in confusion.

"OK," she said. "Tell me about it."

"What? There's nothing to talk about."

"There's always something to talk about," she said.

Theo sighed and leaned back into the bench. "I don't know what you want me to say."

"I've known how you've felt about him for a really long time," Jenna said. "I know you've avoided it a lot and sort of put your feelings for him on the back burner."

Theo bit his lip and crossed his arms. "Liam is my friend."

Jenna smiled at Theo. "David is my friend." She patted his knee and stood up. "Just remember that. I didn't want to give you a whole lecture. I just wanted to provoke some thought. But if you want to talk about it, you know where to find me."

Theo sighed and stood up facing Jenna. "OK." Theo wasn't really sure what he was supposed to say. It seemed like everyone was just telling him to do it already. But he was scared. "I..." He swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm scared, mom."

Jenna wrapped her arms around and gave him a squeezed. "You'll be alright." She leaned back and placed a hand on his cheek to wipe back the stray tear that had fallen. "Just trust me on this one, alright?" Theo huffed and looked away. "OK?" Theo nodded and they hugged again. Jenna was always so sweet with Theo. He was just so soft around her. She didn't have to do much and he would just melt. She nurtured him like he was still a small child sometimes since he'd never gotten that when he was a child. That's why he started calling her mom. That's what she was to him.

The boys didn't leave until later that night. "What did my mom want to talk to you about?" Liam asked. "I mean, maybe it's not my business.-"

"You know your mom," said Theo. "Always making me cry."

Liam was watching him intently with concern. "...is everything alright?"

Theo smiled and shook his head. It's not like he could just tell Liam what they'd talked about exactly. "Same thing Sheriff and Terry are always bugging me about."

Liam looked down at his hands in his lap. "A boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

"I mean, if that's what you want," said Liam. "But you don't really need a boyfriend." Liam didn't know what came over him. It was like a wave of possessiveness. All he knew was that he sure as hell didn't want Theo to have a boyfriend. He hated that idea. It made him angry.

"You're right," said Theo. "I don't. But I think that maybe they're also a little bit right. I need someone to share my life with.-"

"You don't," Liam argued. "Don't listen to them, Theo. You're a strong, independent guy. You don't need anybody."

Theo looked at Liam with furrowed brows. "Yeah. I do. I need you. You're my best friend."

Liam crossed his arms and did that adorable pouty thing again and Theo let out a laugh as he shook his head.

 

* * *

 

Liam and Theo lifted the mat into the back of Theo's truck and laid it there. "Fits perfectly," Liam said before hopping in and giving it a test. "Now, here is the real question. Do we fit?"

Theo hopped in and laid down next to Liam. He wiggled around and rolled side to side a bit. "I'm gonna get squished by you but it's good enough."

"It'll be more comfy with pillows and blankets," Liam pointed out. "And I'll try not to squish you."

"Nah," said Theo. "It's OK. I don't really mind. I'm used to it." Theo let out a big yawn. He'd worked a double shift and was about to work another in a couple hours. He sat up. "Alright. Let's roll it back up and go to the store. We need to get the non-perishables and I don't trust you to shop on your own."

Liam sighed. "Fair enough."

When they got back from shopping Theo hit the couch and was out like a light. Liam worked on putting things away or out of the way until it was time to pack for the trip. He double checked the list and just sat in the chair in front of the couch until it was almost time for Theo to go back to work. To wake him up and gently brushed a hand through Theo's hair. He knew if he woke him up obnoxiously it would scare him. He was always really sensitive when he was first woken up.

Theo inhaled deeply and stirred. "What time is it?"

"Almost time for your next shift," said Liam. "You have twenty minutes."

"I asked you to wake me up an hour before so I could take a shower," said Theo sitting up and stretching.

"I didn't listen because you needed the extra forty minutes of sleep," said Liam. "You don't need a shower. You smell fine. I think you smell good actually."

Theo stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I gotta eat something." He patted Liam's belly as he walked by him. "Thanks for waking me up," he offered before walking into the kitchen. He ate some food and drank some coffee before biding Liam farewell for the day. He'd be back early the next morning at around one.

"Stay safe," Liam called after him as he left. he hated the days when Theo worked double shifts and then ended up working really late in the night and into the early morning. He worried about him. But he knew Theo was good at his job and that he liked doing it. He just wished that he didn't have to take on so many hours.

 

* * *

 

"I talked to Mason," said Liam. "He said that we could come up any day we wanted. He even offered to let us stay a night or two in their guest room. I told him I'd talk to you about it."

Theo was in their garage standing next to his truck canopy on the ground. "Can you give me a hand?" He told Liam his plan on how to get the canopy onto the truck before he responded to what Liam had mentioned to him. They lifted the canopy over the bed of the truck and settled it down on top. "Yeah. That sounds nice. Let's do it."

They finished packing and then they stood at their front door. "So I guess this is it. We're leaving Beacon Hills for the first time in like two years."

Liam faced Theo and smiled. "Let's go!" He ran to the car and hopped in the passenger seat. They were all ready to go and Theo just stood there staring at the door. He took a deep breath and locked it. He closed the door and exhaled. He had two weeks. Two weeks to do things for himself. He could be selfish for the first time in seven years. People were actually telling him to indulge and do something for himself. It's been so long he thinks he's forgotten how.

Theo left the house behind and climbed into the truck. "You ready?" he asked Liam.

Liam nodded excitedly and smiled. "Yeah. I'm so sick of Beacon Hills. Let's get out of here."

Theo turned on his truck and drove. Liam immediately started searching through his CDs. "You got anything new in here?"

"Uh. Yeah, actually," Theo said. "There's this artist that I'm really into right now. He's called NF. Have you heard of him?" Liam perced his lips and shook his head. "Someone left one of his albums at the station and I got curious and listened. It was so weird. It was like he knew me or something. I bought his other two albums but I haven't listened to them yet. I hear the guy doesn't put out any trash. I think it's good for me to listen too, you know? It has meaning to it. It's real."

Liam was staring at him with a silly surprised look on his face. "Wow. I guess we're gonna listen to NF then." He put in one of his CDs and the music started to play. "Why do I always forget that you're into rap?"

Theo shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not necessarily into rap. I'm more into music that tells a story that I can relate to. Coincidentally, rap just happens to be the genre that most artists with my kind of problems use as an outlet. I do like rap though."

Liam nodded. "I think rap is kinda cool. All the kids at school listen to it but it's always about getting high and shit. And objectifying women too. Basically, all music is about that now. I guess that's why I like classic rock more than anything else. Still about getting high but it's original and authentic."

"You mean you don't like songs about getting high and sleeping around?" Theo asked in mock shock.

"Dude, I can't even get high," said Liam. "Why would I want to sing about it? And I'm not even sure that I like girls either. Why would I sing about that?"

"You just like really corny unemotional music," said Theo.

"Some classic rock is emotional," said Liam. "But yeah. I don't like serious music."

Theo reached for the controls and hit the button that changes it to the classic rock station. "Well, then we can listen to that. The music I like to listen to is more for meditation, not road trips."

"No," said Liam. "It's fine. I think you make a good point. I mean, it's better for you to listen to music that has meaning to it. And classic rock can be meaningless sometimes. I want to hear what kind of things you're feeling. Maybe I can relate too." Liam reached forward and switched back to the CD. "I mean, if you want me to hear it."

Theo took a deep breath and nodded. "Promise not to judge me?"

Liam raised his eyebrows at Theo and gave him a look. "Dude, I'm not gonna judge you." Theo put his music back on and switched to one of his favorites. They spent the first hour of the car ride just talking about how the lyrics of the songs related to them. It was really weird for them because they didn't talk about their feelings with each other a lot but it turns out they just need someone else to say the words for them.

 

* * *

 

After they'd listened to the whole album, they turned it to a more road trip appropriate station. They rotated between the classics, the new stuff and even country until it was time for their first stop. Liam bailed out of the car and sprinted for the bushes because he really had to pee. But Theo got out a stretched before opening the back door of his truck to grab something to eat.

Before he knew it, Liam was back to the truck and searching for food as well. "Do you want to drive now? There's no traffic for another sixty miles so we won't have to worry about triggering your road rage."

"Sure," Liam said. "Can we go somewhere to grab a bite to eat though? I want some meat."

Theo tossed him the keys. "Yeah. Take the next food exit and we'll go where ever you want."

Liam hopped in the driver's seat. "Wow. You must really love me. You let me drive your truck."

Theo rolled his eyes. "We're only really going steady if I give you my cowboy hat though."

"OK," said Liam. "No more country music."

"Theo wants to take a nap now," Theo said resting his head against the seat. "We can switch back when we hit traffic.-"

Liam gasped. "Look! It's a bridge! Wait. No. Don't look." Theo did just that. He covered his eyes. "Just pretend there isn't a bridge there. What bridge? There's no bridge.-"

"Liam, I know it's there," said Theo annoyed. "I knew it was coming up soon. That's part of why I made you drive." Theo had a thing about bridges. And tunnels. He could go through them but it was always this big ordeal. It wasn't like that until after he took Gabe's pain and he had died.

"Are you gonna have a panic attack?" Liam asked anxiously.

Theo sighed and reached into the back to grab his pillow and a small lotion bottle. "No." But Theo didn't sound very convinced. After he'd had the panic attacks for a while, he talked to Deaton about it and he informed him about essential oils. Some of them were ineffective to werewolves but others worked just like the nine herbs and wolfsbane.

Theo wasn't sure if they actually did anything for him but they at least distracted him and calmed him down a little bit. So he squeezed some lavender peppermint oil lotion in his hands and rubbed them around before covering his face with his hands and taking in deep breathes trying to inhale the scent. The lavender actually benefited Liam a lot too they had figured out. It had calming properties and sometimes when Liam was about to have an episode, he'd get a wiff of Theo's lavender peppermint lotion and it would calm him down. "You feeling better?" Liam asked gently, slightly more calm than he was when he'd realized there was a bridge and Theo was probably going to freak out.

Theo let out a slow breath before answering. "Sort of. I'm just trying really hard not to think."

"Well, what can I do?" Liam asked.

Theo didn't know what came over him but he rested the back of his open palm on Liam's leg and leaned against the console towards Liam. "Just hold my hand."

"OK," Liam said obliging immediately and taking one hand off of the steering wheel to hold Theo's. By now, both of them knew to just do whatever it was the other needed when they were having anxiety. Liam didn't have it as often but he'd experienced it enough to know that sometimes, you just need someone to hold you.

"Thanks," Theo said hugging his pillow and leaning more into the console. All he could focus on in that moment was breathing. He wouldn't let his mind think about his sister or the Dread Doctors. He looked at the floor but started to feel sick so he turned his head and looked up at Liam. The second he did that, everything fell back into place. He squeezed Liam's hand tighter knowing everyone had been right. Work had just been a distraction from what really mattered.

Theo had gotten a lot better in the last seven years but he'd covered up a lot of the walls with paint instead of breaking them down and rebuilding everything. He needed to do a renovation. He needs to reprioritize.

He needed to breathe.

Breathe.

"Breathe." Liam told him to.

And he did. All for Liam. No. He did it for himself. Because of Liam. Theo relaxed and completely forgot about the bridge. All he could see was Liam. The wind in his hair as he drove, the sharp edges and curves of his face, the way his eyes squinted from the sunlight. Theo subconsciously brought Liam's hand up to his face and inhaled his scent, letting it anchor him, letting it be all that mattered, letting it consume him.

He listened. Liam's heart was beating. It was calm and reassuring. Liam was breathing, not thinking about how he did it. He just wanted to hear his voice again. "Talk to me," Theo pleaded, holding Liam's hand pressed to his cheek as he relaxed into his pillow.

"OK," Liam said and his heartbeat sped up a little bit. "Um. I just want you to know, I'm having a good time with you. And I really liked that album we were listening to earlier. I also really like your new deodorant." Theo made a faint noise that Liam assumed and hoped was laughter and not crying. "I mean, it's really weird now that you have a different smell but it's still a good smell and I don't mind it at all."

"Should I have asked you first before I switched?" Theo dared to ask.

Liam shrugged. "You should always talk to your best friend before a major life decision."

Theo smiled and sat up so he could look at Liam. "You mean like switching from antiperspirant to deodorant?"

Liam's eyes went wide. "You did what? Oh my god."

Theo chuckled now able to relax completely and just see Liam. "Not that I'm gonna get cancer but antiperspirants can cause cancer. And if I use deodorant it kind of enhances my natural scent and I think that will help me to be more... you know, myself."

"Hm," Liam hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe I should switch over."

Theo shrugged. "You could try it. I mean, it's not for everyone."

"Who would've thought that Theo Raeken would be the guy that goes all natural on basically everything?" Liam said in disbelief shaking his head.

"I think it just helps me stay connected to my wolf or something," said Theo. "Staying away from all the chemicals and manmade things."

"When was the last time you did a full shift?" Liam asked not even realizing they were still holding hands. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," said Theo. "It's been more than a year. Maybe that why I'm so stressed out all the time."

"Do you feel like you're suffocating yourself?" Liam asked sincerely.

Theo let out a pained sigh before admitting, "Yeah. I think I am suffocating myself."

"Well," said Liam. "What do you want to do?"

"Run," said Theo. "I just want to run."

"Then I'll run with you," said Liam. "If you want me to?" Liam glanced at Theo for a response and all he got was a nod and that really cute, shy smile that Theo rarely ever did. But whenever it happened Liam couldn't help but mimic him. The bridge was long gone by now and here they were just smiling like idiots and still holding hands, making promises to run from everyone and everything but each other.


	4. Chapter 4

The cabin wasn't a huge one but it was very secluded, surrounded by trees and mountains. By the time they got there is was dark and they were exhausted. The cabin may have been small but it was quite luxurious to make up for it. There was a hot tub on the deck and a Jacuzzi and shower right next to the bed. OK, maybe this cabin was built with couples in mind but they both knew that going into this. All the other cabins were booked to the brim and they'd seen each other naked before so they agreed it wasn't weird at all.

Liam, who ended up driving the rest of the way there because Theo had fallen asleep and he was too afraid to wake him up, went straight for the bed. He plopped down with a heavy sigh and a loud, exaggerated moan. "Oh, this feels nice."

Theo yawned and stretched before taking a shoe off and throwing it at Liam on the bed. "I told you to wake me up, jackass," Theo whined slipping out of his other shoe and removing his socks.

"You were just so calm though," said Liam. "And I didn't mind driving. Traffic actually wasn't too bad the rest of the way."

Theo let out an exasperated sigh turning around and looking into the woods. "Hey, I'm gonna go for a run. Um..."

Liam shifted so his face wasn't suffocating in the mattress and so he could see Theo. "You want me to come with?"

Theo shook his head pulled his shirt over his head. "No. That's fine. I'm gonna see if I can... do a full shift. So if any of our neighbors complain about a naked guy running around the woods, it wasn't me."

Liam chuckled. "OK. I'll look the other way."

"If nothing happens, I'll probably be back sooner than later," Theo informed him. "But if I'm not back by morning then you should probably come find me and help shift back.-"

"I kind of feel like I should go with you-"

"I need to try it by myself," Theo said. "I know that I'm allowed to ask for help and if I can't do it on my own, I'll ask for it. I just want to try first."

Liam sighed. "OK. I'll be here, probably asleep but you can wake me up if you need me."

Forty minutes later, Liam heard the shower turn on and looked at the clock to see how long it had been. It probably hadn't gone very well if he was back already. Liam really hoped Theo would ask for help. So when the other man finally laid down next to him in the bed, Liam spoke. "I take it it didn't go very well."

Theo let out a sigh, shifting under the covers. "Nope." That neither of them slept very well. Theo had been left discouraged and woke up every fifteen minutes with a startle. Liam couldn't sleep because he was worried about Theo. If he had his way, he'd cuddle him but they were already pushing it by sharing a bed in a couples' cabin. He didn't want to cross the line.

 

* * *

 

Normally, Theo was the one to be up and cheery in the morning but today neither of them were. They weren't really grumpy, just tired from the exhausting night before. Theo turned and faced Liam with a tired, blank expression. "Sorry I kept you up."

"It's OK," Liam said with the same expression. "We don't have anywhere to be today." Liam sat up as Theo rolled over to burry his face in the pillow. Liam walked into the kitcehn part of the cabin and grabbed a container of yogurt before coming back to bed. "So do you want to talk about last night?"

Theo sighed turning his head in Liam's direction. "I couldn't even do a partial shift. And I tried really hard, Liam."

Liam scooted closer to Theo. "Sit up. I want to tell you something." Theo sat up so they were facing each other, sitting criss-cross with their knees touching each other. Liam smiled and pressed his hand to Theo's face firmly getting the other man to look at him. "Wolves are social creatures, Theo." He took a bite of his yogurt and got another spoon full ready as he continued to speak. "And you're not a lone wolf anymore." Liam smiled and held the spoon up to Theo's lips.

Theo smiled shyly before taking the bite he was offered. The action was simple yet very meaningful to the both of them. Liam wasn't just telling Theo that he wasn't alone anymore. He was showing him that he needed to rely on other people. He needed to stop pushing people away.

"I may not be an alpha," said Liam. "But you're definitely part of my pack. And Pack can count on each other. So count on me. Alright? We'll figure it out together."

Theo looked down at his knees and ran a hand through his hair. "What if I can never shift again? What does that mean?"

Liam shook his head in defiance. "You're wolf and coyote are still in there, Theo. I can feel them. You just need to let them out. You need to be OK with them, to trust them."

"Do you know how hard it is for me to trust them? After everything I did?" Theo said looking up with a pained expression. "No matter how hard I try, everything just follows me around."

"Then trust me," said Liam. "Trust me to keep you from losing control. I trust you to do the same for me. Now it's time for you to trust me."

Theo bit his lip and cringed in hesitation. He wasn't sure he could verbally promise Liam anything at this point. So he just nodded. "What's the time?"

"It's only six thirty," said Liam getting up from the bed. "I think I'm gonna take a shower."

Theo got up as well. "Hey, did you want to go into town today and check it out? Maybe we could get breakfast at that bakery you were talking about?"

Liam leaned against the shower wall. "Sure. Yeah. I'll be ready in like twenty minutes or so. We can leave when you're ready."

"K," Theo said making his way over to the kitchen. "You want any coffee before we go?"

Liam was already stipped down to nothing and in the shower. "No. I'll get something in town."

"OK." Theo turned around to put the coffee grounds in the filter and nearly spilled when he could see Liam in the shower. There was a literal direct view from that part of the kitchen into the two-person shower. The entire cabin was an open concept. They only room the had a door was the one with the toilet and washer and dryer.

Theo didn't even realize he was checking out Liam before it was too late. Liam had turned around and spotted him. Not that Theo noticed. He was too distracted by the way Liam was suddenly trying to show himself off in hopes of making Theo very uncomfortable around him for the rest of the day. Theo closed his eyes and unplugged the coffee maker moving to the other side of the kitchen where he wouldn't have to stare at Liam's ass while he showered.

Suddenly, Theo was regretting everything. Like why did he think this trip would be a good idea. And why did he think taking Liam was also a good idea? And why did he not care that they were renting a couples suite with no doors on the showers when they'd initially planned this. He knew exactly how he felt about Liam and this was all just going to end horribly.

 

* * *

 

 The drive into town took about twenty minutes. It was a very cute town. There was only one main road and all of the buildings were easily one hundred years old. There were shops on every block and lots of couples and little families walking up and down the street. Theo found a place to leave the truck and they'd walk around the small vacation town until they wanted to go home.

"Where to first?" Theo asked.

"Food," Liam responded abruptly.

"Good choice," Theo said. All he'd had was some coffee and he was starving. Him and Liam walked up and down the street and down the little alleyways until they found the bakery Liam had heard about online. There was a small line to wait in but that probably meant it was as good as the reviews said it was. Liam went a little overboard and bought two dozen cinnamon rolls, a dozen doughnuts, and an entire quiche. Theo just bought a breakfast burrito and some orange juice because there was no way Liam was eating all that by himself.

They were sitting on the western style boardwalk enjoying their breakfast when Theo spoke up. "Why did you buy so much food?"

"Cause then when we want more we don't have to come back into town," said Liam. "And I got excited when I saw the cinnamon rolls."

"Obviously," Theo chuckled before taking a bite of his burrito. Theo really had a thing for burritos. Like seriously. He probably has a burrito every single day of his life. "So what now?"

"There's a meat shop down the road," said Liam. "We should probably get some considering we didn't pack very much."

"No fuckin' pepperoni sticks," Theo said glaring. "It smells horrible. If you buy pepperoni sticks I will pack up my stuff and go home with out you."

"Fine," said Liam. "No pepperoni sticks. But they have bacon. And hamburger meat."

"We have both of those back at the cabin," said Theo.

"But it's not from the cool meat shop in town," Liam whined.

"I can't take you anywhere," Theo complained. "I'm telling you no. We're not spending money on any more food. We brought enough food to last us three weeks."

Liam pouted. "I hate it when you're right."

"You mean likes always?" Theo said earning half of a doughnut to the face. Theo grinned when the doughnut landed in his lap. "Oh, thank you. How sweet?" He picked it up and the creme filling oozed out onto his pants. "Oh lovely," his voice dripped out with sarcasm. He ate the remainder of the doughnut before pointing out the mess that Liam had made. "Dude, get me a napkin. This is your fault."

Liam looked around to make sure no one was watching and wiped the creme off of Theo's pants using his finger. Theo let out a squeak and his breath hitched. "Shsh. You didn't see anything," he said before licking off his finger.

"Oh my god, Liam," Theo whisper yelled. "Didn't Mason ever tell you not to do that to a gay guy?! Or a guy, period!"

"I wasn't going to let that perfect creme filling go to waste," Liam said stupidly as he grabbed a napkin and went to wipe off Theo's pants more thoroughly.

"Ah. Ah! No!" Theo snatched the napkin glaring at Liam. "I can take care of it myself. Thank you. Gosh. You're such an idiot sometimes."

Liam huffed crossing his arms and pouting as he leaned back in his chair. He was obviously offended by Theo's overreaction if you can even call it that. Liam silently looked away still pouting at Theo wiped off his pants.

Theo finished and looked up only to see Liam doing that stupid pout he's always doing. "Liam, quit pouting. Of course, I'm gonna yell at you for that. What did you think was gonna happen?"

"I didn't mean it that way," Liam said angrily. "You're the one who interpreted it wrong. I should be lashing out at you."

"Oh, that's right," said Theo still upset about the issue. "I forgot. You're the one who's supposed to have anger issues and say all the things he regrets later-"

"Shut the hell up, Theo," said Liam. "I'm sorry. OK? I didn't think you'd be so pissed about it. Gosh.-"

"Clearly, you didn't think at all."

Liam glared at Theo. "You know what? I'm gonna go get pepperoni. I don't care if you hate how it smells. You're being an asshole and you deserve it." Liam got up and walked down the sidewalk.

"Liam, wait-" Theo stopped himself from saying anymore when Liam flipped him the bird without even looking back at him. "Wow," he mumbled to himself. "Real mature." He got up and grabbed all of Liam's bags of food and walked in the other direction to put them in the car. Maybe he did overreact. But Liam touched him somewhere he was not expecting to be touched let alone by Liam.

So he wandered around town by himself for a little bit until he found Liam sitting on a bench sadly eatin pepperoni. He sighed and sat next to him. "Hey," he said.

"Hi," said Liam.

"I'm sorry I flipped out at you."

Liam looked up at him. "Sorry I..." Liam tried not to grin at this next part but he couldn't help it so he lowered his voice. "...sorry I'm an idiot," as all he could say.

"I didn't need to react like that..." Theo started. "But I did. And I'm sorry."

Liam looked up at Theo. "You're right you know?"

"About what?"

"Pepperoni stinks."

 

* * *

 

 "Let's go for a walk," Liam said spontaneously as they sat on the porch in rocking chairs. It was all peace and quiet until Liam had spoken up. "There's a trail over that way that I think leads to a viewpoint."

They'd been back from town for about two hours and had just relaxed and settled into the cabin a little more. "OK," said Theo. "How long is it?"

"I don't know," said Liam. "Let's bring some dinner with us just in case it's longer than I think it is."

Theo stood up. "I'll fill up a backpack." Within ten minutes, they were off. A quarter of a mile up the hill, Theo was out of breath. "Oh my god. I think I'm dying. Why the hell can't I breathe? I'm not human! I shouldn't have this problem."

"You'll be fine," said Liam. "Just relax and let your wolf take over." Theo gave Liam that look like he had just said something he didn't want him to say. They stopped in their tracks. "I trust you, Theo. And you can trust me."

Theo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Liam was right. He needed to just let things happen. He didn't have to be so controlling. Cause that's what was controlling him.

He opened his eyes and there was Liam, shifted. His eyes were glowing yellow, a darker yellow than they used to be, a sign that he was growing up and was probably on his way to becoming an alpha. And that's what did Theo in. He couldn't make his eyes turn yellow or make his claws and fangs grow like a wolve's but he could run like one and that what he did.

They ran four another thirty minutes before they reached the top. Theo was a few seconds behind Liam and saw the man standing at the edge, sun starting to set over the horizon, wind blowing in his hair. He didn't want to move, he didn't want this moment to pass. Everything was perfect in that moment. watching Liam stand on the edge was just something so beautiful.

But time wasn't frozen.

Liam looked behind him and saw Theo standing there. So he reached his head out to him, "Come here." Theo took his hand and used it to pull himself up on the higher rock. Liam didn't let go, instead lacing their fingers together. "It looks better from up here, doesn't it?" Liam asked.

Theo didn't even care about what Liam was looking at. All he cared about was Liam. And, god, he just wanted to kiss him. "Yeah," said Theo. "It's better up close..." Theo said quietly.

Liam squinted a little bit and turned to look at Theo. He hadn't even looked at anything beyond the mountain they climbed. It made Liam nervous whenever Theo looked at him like that. Like he was all that mattered. He knew he was oblivious to those looks for years. But now, here... it was too obvious even for him to ignore.

Theo was on the edge. If he wanted to, he could jump. He could either be free from everything or it could be the end of life as he knew it. But they way things were looking now... his life didn't have much purpose anyways so... he might as well jump.

And he did.

He placed his hand at the small of Liam's back and pulled him in crashing their mouths together. For all he knew, today could be his last day, the last sunset he saw, the last breath he breathed. So he let himself get lost in the moment and take it all in.

And that's when it all fell apart.

He felt the walls inside of him come crashing down, the lies he told himself constantly about having to be alone were washed away by the overwhelming and reckless love that consumed him, that he _let_ consume him. And Liam had been right. He could feel it inside of him, that fire, the supernatural energy that burned inside of his blood. It had been there the whole time, just lost in a chasm.

Theo pulled away and opened his eyes that were flooded with a bright light. Liam licked his lips before looking at him. A big smile graced those beautiful wet lips before he pulled Theo in by the shirt and kissed him with the same passion Theo had given him. They shared the energy now, both of them stronger now that Theo had let him in.

When they pulled away, the sun was almost completely over the horizon. Their foreheads were pressed firmly against each other, arms holding each other close. "Isn't it crazy..." Theo said. "...how in one moment, your life can change drastically... because of one decision?"

Liam smiled before stepping back down from the edge. "You're crazy," Liam said dragging him down by the hand. Theo nearly stumbled into him but they caught each other. "We're both crazy."

Theo's eyes were still glowing, and the animal inside of him... Liam could tell, he wanted to run. So they did. They ran back down the mountain, letting their wolves reign free until Theo lead them off the beaten path. He heard something.

A waterfall. A beautiful one at that. And when he got there, he turned around to find Liam had been on his toes the entire time. He smiled at him. "You wanna go for a swim?"

Liam didn't answer verbally. He just took off his clothes and followed Theo into the water. The water was warm but their bodies were warmer which is probably why they touched each other so much. That and they just really wanted to feel each other. Theo would kiss Liam any chance he got now. That was something he wished he'd started doing years ago.

After fifteen minutes of playing in the water, Theo got out. Liam followed but they stopped at the edge of the water. Theo faced Liam and smiled. "Can you take my clothes back to the cabin?" Liam gave Theo a questioning look. "Let me in when the morning comes. OK?"

Liam watched as Theo did a full shift into his wolf form before he nodded and smiled. Theo disappeared into the forest leaving Liam on his own. The poor pup was gonna get lost. Liam put his clothes on, grabbed Theo's and head towards the cabin. Immediately, when he got back, he called Mason. He needed to tell someone what had just happened because it was just so amazing and it scared him a little bit.

"And it was just so amazing, Mase," said Liam dreamily. "I didn't think it would all happen so fast."

_"Fast? I've been waiting for you two to get together since the Anuk-_ ite _was killed. Glad you finally got your act together."_

Liam chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I just needed to tell someone. I'm kinda freaking out."

_"Perfectly normal,"_ said Mason. _"Keep me updated. I want to know all the dirty details when they happen."_

"You wish," Liam said. "Theo doesn't know I talked to you so you have to pretend I didn't. Hopefully, by the time we come stay at your guys' place he'll be OK with you guys knowing. We haven't even talked about it yet."

_"Well, don't put it off,"_ Mason warned him.

"I won't. I don't think I can. I'm so freakin' anxious. I don't think I can fall asleep."

And Liam couldn't. All he could think about was Theo. All he wanted to do was either be out there with him running free or be lying next to him cuddling. So he did the next best thing trying to distract himself. He warmed up a few cinnamon rolls in the microwave and sat in front of the TV and picked out a movie to rent. He just knew he wasn't going to sleep. He was too wired.

He was only a little bit wrong though because he fell asleep at four and didn't wake until an hour later to the sound of scratching at the door. His eyes darted to the door and he saw a black wolf with bright green eyes. He got up really fast and let Theo in. Theo stepped inside before allowing himself to shift back. "Hey..." Liam said not able to take his eyes off of him.

Theo smiled. He just looked so different. So free and unburdened. "Hey. How'd you sleep?"

Liam shrugged. "I would've slept better if you were next to me."

Theo nodded in understanding. "I'll keep that in mind next time," Theo says smiling down at his toes and blushing. "But I'm here now and I'm ready to sleep now."

Liam watched as Theo turned around and closed all the shades in the windows and doors so it was a lot darker in the room. He could've helped him but he would much rather watch Theo. He followed Theo over to the bed and watched him climb in. "I put your clothes in the bathroom."

Theo shrugged. "I don't need them."

Liam smiled sheepishly as he climbed in bed. "So I think we need to talk."

Theo's happiness didn't waver, he didn't worry. He just smiled at the man next to him. "I think we do." 


	5. Chapter 5

"So..." Liam started.

"I think I want to buy a new truck," Theo blurted out from his side of the bed.

Liam squinted at him. "Um... what's wrong with your Tundra?"

Theo shrugged. "Nothing. I just want a bigger truck."

"...why?"

"Cause..." Theo started. "I don't know."

"How many miles have you put on it?" Liam asked. He didn't even know why he was humoring Theo. They needed to talk about them not Theo's truck.

"Hundred and twenty-two," Theo said.

"I mean..." Liam started. "You could sell it for a decent price now since there aren't very many miles on it but-"

"I changed my mind," Theo blurted again turning to face Liam instead of the ceiling. "I want to keep the cars we have and buy a house."

Liam's heart jumped. "A house?" Theo nodded. "Together?" He nodded again. "...I was thinking of downgrading to a one bedroom apartment first but..."

"Yeah. Maybe I jumped the gun a bit on the house," Theo admitted letting out a chuckle.

"But I mean, we can look for a house," said Liam. "Obviously, we're both gonna stay in Beacon Hills for probably a long time so..." Liam sat up. "I feel like we're moving too fast. Do you?"

Theo sat up as well and shook his head. "I honestly feel like we're finally catching up." Liam stared at him, eyes wide. Liam wasn't gonna lie. He did feel like they were finally catching up but to him it seemed like he was supposed to feel like they were going too fast. He didn't actually feel that way. He just felt like he was supposed to feel that way.

"Theo, we haven't even talked about... what any of this means or... what we are." Liam bit his lip.

"At the moment, I'm not sure what we are but I know I want to always be with you," said Theo. "We're forever. That's what we are."

Liam raised an eyebrow at how crazy and sentimental Theo was being. "Dude, you're being so weird right now."

Theo let out a chuckle. "I know. I'm sorry," said Theo. "I just really want to kiss you right now."

Liam smiled. "You're allowed to kiss me."

"Yeah?"

"Whenever you want to."

Theo smiled leaning in to kiss Liam softly and pulled back. "Can I kiss you in front of other people?"

"If you want to," said Liam.

"OK," said Theo placing another kiss on his lips.

"Speaking of..." said Liam. "Are we gonna tell people about us?" Theo didn't hesitate to nod his head while he smiled. "Yeah?"

"I have a feeling most people have probably been rooting for us for a while now," said Theo. "Like your mom."

"And Mason, apparently," said Liam. "I-uh... I talked to him-"

"What did he say?" asked Theo.

"He was pretty happy about it," said Liam. "But... not everyone will be. We have to remember that."

Theo shrugged. "All the important people will be happy about it. Besides, it's not like we just got engaged or something. We're just... together now."

"But weren't you just talking about buying a house?"

"I..." Theo sighed. "Yeah. OK. So maybe it's a big deal. But it's not like we can move in with each other all over again. We're already roommates."

"I get it," said Liam. "And why exactly were you wanting to get a bigger truck?"

"Because... you know..." Theo smiled sheepishly and blushed. "I was thinking about kids and then I realized I was really jumping the gun. And then I realized that a house was probably jumping the gun as well so you know... maybe I should just shut up."

Liam's eyes were wide with surprise. "Wow..." He laid down and looked at the ceiling. "That escalated quickly."

Theo laid beside him but on his elbows so he could prop himself up to look at him. "I'm sorry. I was just getting ahead of myself. I mean... I guess I didn't really realize I wanted any of those things until... now. It doesn't mean I want them now but... maybe in the future, we can have that."

"Yeah," said Liam suddenly overwhelmed. "Let's just focus on dating and telling other people that we're dating for the time being. Then once everybody knows maybe we can talk about maybe looking at houses... maybe."

"Good enough for me," Theo said leaning down to place a chaste kiss on Liam's lips. "I love you."

"Can we go to sleep now?" asked Liam. "I'm totally overwhelmed by all this now."

"Sorry," said Theo with that shit eating grin still on his face. "I'm just letting myself endulge."

"Yep," Liam popped his lips. "And that is perfectly fine."

Theo wrapped an arm around Liam's waist and got a mischevious look on his face. "And while I'm at it..." Theo plastered a hot kiss to Liam's mouth only for Liam to push him back.

"Theo," Liam said softly but firmly giving him a look. "You're getting way ahead of yourself. I know you're all-" Liam let out a moan when Theo started licking at his neck. "You know what? We're on vacation. I'm just gonna let it happen."

 

* * *

 

 The rest of the week consisted of romantic endeavours such as waking up to little kisses and whispers, staying up til one in the morning, skinny dipping in the hottub, making breakfast and eating it in bed. The last morning thet had at the cabin, Theo drug Liam out of bed and into the shower on a whim.

As they were drying off and getting dressed, Theo looked at his phone and gasped. "No way. Chirs and Peter are at Mason and Corey's!"

"Really?" asked Liam. "So we'll get to see them too?"

"Yeah," said Theo. "Apparently, they're staying for dinner and then they're gonna follow Scott and Malia south and stay at their place."

"So that means that Scott and Malia are for sure coming," said Liam. "Perfect. I get to tell my alpha that I'm dating Theo Raeken to his face instead of over text message. Who knows how he'll react though."

"He doesn't hate me that much," Theo said.

Liam raised an eyebrow at Theo. "Dude, you're an asshole to him. You know that?"

"His standards are way too high!" Theo argued. "OK? I know I stole from people but I had nowhere to live and I was starving! What was I supposed to do?-"

"He wanted you to ask for help?" Liam said.

"How could I possibly ever ask Scott for help," said Theo. "After everything we've been through, all the things I did, how am I supposed to ask him for help? And besides. The one time I actually did ask for his help, he let my sister drag me into hell without batting an eye. I know I deserved it but it goes against everything Scott says he lives for.-"

"He's my alpha, Theo," Liam pleaded. "You have to try to be diplomatic. I mean, now that we're dating, you're basically becoming part of his pack-"

"I'm not part of his pack, Liam," said Theo. "I'm part of your pack. He's not my alpha and he never will be. You're my alpha, not him."

Liam went silent after that. He was slightly shocked and confused. "...I'm not an alpha..." Liam said quietly.

Theo gave him that doe eyed look. "You are mine."

Liam smiled and pulled Theo in for a kiss. "You're mine too." They held each other for a moment to process what was said and then they agreed to finish packing and hit the road.

 

* * *

 

 

Liam and Mason ran at each other and jumped in each other's arms for the biggest bear hug ever. While they spasmed over how excited they were to see each other, Theo greeted Corey with a hug just as Chris walked out to give his greetings as well. Theo gave Chris a hug and looked around for his travelling buddy. "Where's Peter? Is he with the little girl?"

Chris chuckled. "Yep. She likes Peter a lot surprisingly."

"Really?" asked Theo. "Is he even good with kids?"

Chris shrugged. "I think being a grandpa kind of broke him in a little bit.-" Before Chris said anymore, Liam tackled him with a hug. "Hey, Liam.-"

Liam scratched at Chris's beard. "Dang. How long have you been going it out?"

"Oh. About a year," Chris said as a minivan pulled into the driveway. "Oh. And here come the rest of the clan."

"Uncle Li!" A tiny little boy yelled jumping out of the car and running towards him. The little boy jumped in Liam's arms as the two of them went inside and Scott and malia got the little toddler out of the back.

Scott waved at Chris and Theo while he waited on his wife. Theo suddenly felt nervous. Damn. He was dating Scott's beta. As Chris approached Scott and gave him a hug, Theo quickly snuck inside to find Liam and tell him he wanted out. But when he found Liam in the nursery with Scotts four year old son watching the little baby girl that Peter was rocking to sleep, he forgot why he'd panicked.

Sure, he borderline hated Scott and didn't want to deal with confronting him but... if he got to be with Liam forever, it didn't matter to him what he had to go through to do it.

They were barely able to squeeze everyone around the tiny table but somehow they managed to do it. Liam and Theo were squished together, Chris next to Theo and Mason next to Liam. Everyone was catching up talking about their new jobs and lifestyles. Then they finally turned to Liam and Theo. "What about you guys?" asled Scott. "How's work and stuff?"

Theo looked at Liam when the man laced their fingers together under the table. "Uh. It's good," said Theo. "Parrish was actually transfered to Orange county to be the new Sheriff so I recently filled his spot."

"I saw that Parrish left," said Scott. "Has the job been treating you well?"

Theo shrugged. "Yeah. It's a great job. I just... needed to reprioritize. That's why I took a vacation."

Scott nodded, smiling and turned his attention to Liam. "And Liam?"

Liam looked at Scott with a shy smile. "Uh. I really like being a teacher. It's fun most of the time."

"And you guys are still roommates, right?" Scott asked taking a sip of his water.

Mason nudged Liam and looked at Liam and Theo's hands as if to tell him he needed to be open and honest to his alpha. Liam got the message and sighed. "Yeah. But... We're not just roommates. We're together..."

Scott stared at them for a moment making everyone very uncomfortable. "Together?" Scott asked looking directly at Theo.

Theo swallowed and cleared his throat. "I'm his boyfriend."

Scott's teeth showed as he grinned. "Congradulations guys," he said standing up and walking around the table to give them a hug. "That's great. I've had a feeling for a while, you know?"

The tension that was in the room before was completely released and everyone was smiling, even Liam and Theo who were still kind of nervous. The night went on as if it were any other night until everyone else had to leave. Theo could tell Liam was sad about watching them all leave. He could kind of feel it too.

Scott's daughter gave Chris a hug. "Bye, Papa. Come visit us."

Chris chuckled. "Marissa, sweetie. Both of your papas are coming home with you to stay at your house."

"Really?" she asked with big brown eyes. "Oh!" And then she ran out to the car making everyone giggle a little bit. Once Scott and the two motorcylces disappeared down the road, Liam turned around and smiled at Mason and Corey.

"I wish both of my grandpas were best friends," Corey said while he bounced his little baby girl.

"I wish I had grandpas," said Theo causing the room to go silent. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. That was awkward."

Liam chuckled and put an arm around Theo's waist. "Alright. So I'm guessing you guys want a full debriefing on how this happened?" Mason and Corey just huffed as they took spots on the couches and motioned for them to sit down and talk. They told them every detail. Except for a few little graphic ones or the fact that Theo had somehow managed to stay a virgin until he and Liam finally got together. Liam was shocked when he heard that but it made perfect sense. Theo didn't really allow himself to have time for any of that until he was forced to take a vacation.

That night, Liam and Theo made a video call to Liam's parents. And Jenna was very happy for the both of them but David was shocked. "I did not see that coming."

Jenna looked at him, "Are you serious? Honey, are you that blind? What is wrong with you?"

"Don't get me wrong," said David. "I completely support this but I did not see it coming. I should have."

Theo squinted at him confused. "Am I supposed to ask you for permission first or something?"

David scoffed. "He's not my daughter. Anyone can have him if they want him."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Gee. Thanks, dad. Good to know you care about my safety."

 

* * *

 

 

"So how was the vacation, Deputy?" Stilinski asked on his first day back from the trip. "Figure anything out?"

The shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh. Just that I can't wait to marry Liam, adopt some kids, buy a house and..." Theo whispered that last part. "...a minivan. Don't tell Liam."

The sheriff looked at Theo over his glasses. "So... does that mean that you actually have a life now?"

Theo sighed and relaxed back into his chair. "I'm afraid I do, Sheriff."

"Does this mean you won't be working overtime anymore?" he asked.

Theo shrugged. "We're looking at houses so I will probably be here as little as possible."

The sheriff smiled. "Good for you, Raeken. I'm proud of you."

Theo bobbed his head in consideration. "You know, it took me a while to get used to it but I'm proud too."

"Well, you have to wait at least twenty years before you retire because you're too young to do that now," said Stilinski.

Theo chuckled. "Hey, Boss," Theo said before the man could enter his office. He turned around. "Thank you."

Stilinski smiled before he retreated into his office. Just then a whistle was heard from across the room and Theo rolled his eyes. "Officer Raeken looks like he got some!"

Theo looked like he was gonna just stand there and pout about being teased but he suddenly burst out in excitement. "Hell yeah, I did!"

 

* * *

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this story. It didn't turn out exactly how I had planned for it to because I got impatient and bored and busy.
> 
> Leave your thoughts in the comment section.


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